A few Good men

Okay so today is the day . I don't require my alarm today . No today I am awake . Today I don't require anything else but my luck . I am awake.

Its been days I have been waiting for this . She has finally agreed. And why shouldn't she . After all to cover the entire distance on a bus doesn't sound so interesting when someone has been pestering you for a bike ride . No not pestering just offering a bike ride. Yes I just offered her one . After all I have said it so many times before that a girl like you shouldn't take a bus for all that distance on your own . After all 45 minutes alone on a crowded bus is a "risky " thing isn't it?
And she agreed . Man she agreed!!

I see my bike today in a new light which I could never before. Black and shining . It does seems pretty. Nah not pretty . It looks macho . Good God what is wrong with me and my vocabulary . Girls don't like things which seems pretty. They prefer things that are "macho" . Yes that's the word.

Okay so the checklist is complete .

Bike`s been polished : Check

Sunglasses on : Check

Boots on : Check

Ignition on : Check

There I see her waiting . Yes she is waiting for me . God she looks so beautiful . No again I am going ahead of myself. Nah she`s just my friend so she must look only cute . Yes just cute

A shy smile and she is sitting behind me. A thousand questions fire up . Is the ride comfortable ? Are you having fun ? Is it better than that bus ride of yours? Her hand brushes lightly against my shoulder and a sweet voice reaches my ear " I never knew that you are a good rider "
Ah this made my day. See I am a good rider. Maybe a great one at that . Maybe she likes me . But how does it affect it me. I am just her friend remember? Got to remember that bit. Yes just friends.

But has any day been so beautiful as this one . Oh how the birds are singing , the cute sounds auto wallas are making ,smoke from cars also seems less dirty , even the face of that police constable looks less ugly. Yes this day is great . Luck is finally on my side. My wonderful bike has made it so.

And suddenly came a jerk . Her body pushed against mine. It felt good but no I hadn't intended it so soon . Maybe after some kilometers when it wouldn't  look so obvious but no not so soon. Something is wrong. And it seems luck has finally run its quota full . A red light from the fuel indication stares back at me . Shit it had been there all the time but I had been only so stupid and so engaged that I didn't seem to notice it. One important thing was missing from my dear checklist . Fuel

With a small smile I muster up courage and tell her there is nothing to worry about . Just a little problem with the bike. It happens all the time and it'll get done in a moment. An encouraging smile comes my way. No she still likes me. Yes every thing is ok.

But I know its not. That red monster is staring at me I know perfectly well what the problem is. Slowly that loving smile is turning into fuming glances . She is looking at her watch now . No that's not good. I try and drag my bike , tilt it , shake it , curse it even , slowly praying that the One above will listen to me . Conveying even pleading without speaking to my darling black dragon of the love I had felt for her just moments ago and making her remember of the bond we have and "please for the love of God not to ditch me at this important point."

And then the final stab came. "You could have at least kept a little fuel when you knew today I was gonna come with you. Anyway I am getting late and I have never been late for my office ." The hands which were holding on to my back for support felt like they were drawing daggers into my soul . I wanted to tell her that it wasn't my fault . Really the thought of dropping her made me so excited that everything else just escaped. But I could only muster a small , embarrassed sorry.

Next moment I knew I was dropping her off for a rickshaw. A rickshaw. That that devil of a driver was actually laughing at me . Smirking. That was the moment I knew there are no good men left.

 As I see her moving away on that tingy rickshaw the beauty of the world seems to evaporate around me. Songs of birds turned into blabber , these auto wallas should be prosecuted , and this smoke from cars , I mean where are the regulating authorities? Hatching eggs? And I think that I am seriously losing my mind when I thought that that constable could have ever turned less ugly .

Dead tired from dragging the bike along , I come across a man standing on a crossing leaning against his bike. "Sir could you please lend me some petrol so that I can just reach the petrol pump." A simple request . More so a simpler question .But the look he gave was as if I had put a gun on his temple and snatched away his motorcycle . I cannot lose more of myself respect in a single day . I was right, there are no good men left.

This world is seeming to be conspiring against me . Yes that's what it is . I mean I had never seen so many couples so early in the morning together. And that too happy couples!!  I gather again some strength and shout a question about the nearest pumping station to a couple speeding away. And the girl , she just laughed . I mean how can girls find amusing things in the most mundane of situations. Don't you see me in pain , in suffering . There is no reply but a plain heartless laugh and this has convinced me beyond doubt , Yes there are no good men left .

Brooding in my own misery I see a man stopping by. I mean Sir I can see the entire world playing a plot against me . A beautiful girl (ok no just a friend) was sitting behind me before but left. I am pretty sure a stray person considered me a thief and a silly girl actually laughed at me . Now do you actually want to stop and then laugh at my state?

But then he said some of the most glorious sentences I had yet heard. " I think you have run out of petrol but don't worry ill give u a  leg up " Not entire sure what he was talking about and partly thinking he was making a Mickey out of me I agreed . With his instructions I jumped on my bike with relief and pushed . And then that noble person helped me out of my misery . He pushed my bike from behind while moving his own and supported through his legs. I couldn't catch his face properly beneath that black helmet but I know for sure if I had seen his face was that of an angel .

He drove me all the way up to the fuel station . And just as I had turned with relief to thank him for his help I could see him moving back up on the road on which he helped me to the station . This wasn't the way he had to come. This wasn't his route. Yet he helped me , wasted his precious time in this ever fast moving world. Without relieving his name , without even waiting for a small "Thank You"  that faceless stranger reinstalled that belief in me that yes there are a few good men still left.

Women ( Aurat )

 Tu hai kabhi maa ki pukar ,
 to tu kabhi pyaar ki bahaar

 Kabhi hai vo pallu, jo apne bacche ko chipaye
to kabhi vo jo pahli raat ko jhalkaye

Kabhi tu subha din ke liye tayaar karati,
to kabhi raat ko pyaar se sulati

Kabhi maa , baap ke kahe pe ek nayi duniya sajati,
to kabhi ussi ko bachhane main puri duniyaa se ladh jati

Tu Kali bhi  aur Aisha bhi ,
Tu Mariyam bhi aur Hawua bhi

Tu hai vo jisne sabko janam diya,
aur vo bhi jisne dard main marham diya

Tuje duniya nai naam aurat diya ,
par sab nai tuje maa , behen , pyaar aur dosto main paya

Tere chehre hazaar ,  tere kaam hazaar ,
har shaks nai tuje alag paya
par afsoos abhi bhi yeh mard tuje na samaj paya